This Cressida, captured by Laurence Jones, perfectly embodies what inspired me to get involved doing what I do here. It’s impossible not to show appreciation for a car in daily use after four decades and this Cressida, not surprisingly found on the West coast, was only slightly less obscure when new than it is today.
I can’t help but think of this car as a child dressed up for a formal event, trying its hardest to look serious while more mature company wants to either pinch its cheeks or ignore it. As cute and overdressed as this Cressida is, however, it managed to tune-out all the infantilization and keep its eyes on the prize, eventually impressing everyone with its sophistication and buttoned-down demeanor.
The current owner of this car, like a doting–perhaps overbearing–parent, wants to keep it young forever. In most respects, like the well cared for paint and trim, that’s a very good thing. Those vulgar rims, on the other hand cross a line, emphasizing the general awkwardness of a car wearing too much jewelry for its shape and size. But perhaps it’s only fitting; after all, only ten years later, LS400s with factory chrome wheels were making their way across the Pacific to consumers who would adopt them with open arms.
Hard to eyeball the wheels, but I suspect it’s possible they were a concession to the dwindling off-the-shelf tire choices many of us face when nursing along an oldie as a daily driver.
I’ve had this happen with many of my old Toyotas. No one carried the original size tires for my 83 Tercel, and very few do for my 87 Corolla FX.
Neat find. Maybe I need my glasses checked, but It kind of looks like the juvenile offspring of a Volvo 240 and a 90s Buick Roadmaster.
Quite understated compared to the MK2 Corona they replaced, those things were overstyled for the US market and stood out elsewhere, these Cressida also went with the smaller 2M 6 motor though I’m told like the MK2 there was also a 4 banger option Ive never seen, the ones I remember in Aussie were all specced up not the poverty packs. Nice cars I’d happily drive another one.
The X-platform (Mark II/Chaser/Cresta/Cressida) offered four-cylinder and four-cylinder diesel models into the ’90s in Japan — there was even a LPG version. I think those were probably aimed primarily at fleet buyers and that most private buyers probably went for one of the four-door ‘hardtops’ with one of the 1G or later 1JZ sixes.
Cool photos. Is there some kind of saturated color effect going on? Either way, lighting makes for some interesting shadows and effects.
Glad you called out those wheels, Perry. Barf.
They’re by Laurence Jones, who does manipulate his images some.
I think they were going for a 510 “vibe” with those rims.
The rims themselves wouldn’t be *that* bad if it weren’t for the rubber-band tires. Taller rubber would fill the wheelwells up better. Though, there are certainly better choices available!
I wonder if the red is an original color. While it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen a Cressida this old, my mind recalls brown, blue, white, and perhaps green. Not red.
Kind of interesting how the “quirky Japanese styling” of the 70’s here turned into “quirky Japanese trying-to-look-Americanized” styling. Dare I say the B-word? The successor Cressida was, in my opinion, more attractive but less distinctive with its rectilinear style, and I actually really liked the third-gen. Still boxy but with some distinctive touches.
The fourth-gen was made redundant by the Lexus line, though I’ve often wondered if there was life left in the platform. Was the later GS300 related to the departed Cressida, I wonder? IIRC it was based on the Japanese Mark II.
The original GS / Aristo shared a platform with the S140 Crown series, a step up from the Mark II / Chaser / Cresta triplets.
I remember seeing one in yellow during the 80’s. The distinct design with the rectangular tail lights in the back and the round headlights with the classic emblem sticks out in my mind. I could only find the color chart for the ’78 and newer models.
The X-platform (sold in Japan as the Mark II, Chaser, and Cresta — the Cressida was kind of an amalgam of pieces of the three versions) was very popular in Japan into the ’90s (more than 400,000 units a year) because it was considered a prestige car. Excepting taxi and fleet cars, I think it was aimed at executive types who wanted to show off their status without showing up the boss in his Crown or Celsior.
The Mark II is still sold in Japan (although it’s been called the Mark X for the last decade), but it’s gotten squeezed pretty badly by the diversification of the market and by the introduction of Lexus in the home market. The Mark X is now more or less a shorter Lexus GS with different styling; I think the platform is the same.
I’ll never figure this out… when I was a youth back in the Seventies I couldn’t stand to even look at a Japanese sedan… now I think they’re cool as hell. What gives 😀 ? And… I’m in the minority here (a minority of one 😀 ), as I actually like those BBS-like wheels on that car.
I was a youth back in the 90’s and preferred Japanese cars, and I really doubt I’ll ever think of 80s-90’s American cars as cool. So we balance out.
When I lived in Germany 30 years ago I knew someone who drove one of these. An odd, fussy, cramped car it was — I thought the Citroen Visa that I rode in most commonly was more comfortable. And that’s saying something, because that Visa was mighty tiny.
That sounds plausible. And anyway, no one does packaging efficiency and soft, long travel rides like the French.
Nobody manages to combine brilliant roadholding and comfort like the French others get one or the other not both.
I’ve always liked this generation Toyota Cressida the best.
When Rolls brought out the Silver Seraph, it immediately made me think of this.
If I didn’t have to pound my cars up and down back roads delivering the mail, I’d buy one of these for my daily. I’ve always liked the styling, especially the front end which has shades of the Volvo 164 about it, and from what I understand they’re dead reliable.
Whatever stylistic quirks these first-gen Cressidas had, the Datsun 810 from the same era is way worse.
Unless, this is a Japanese model(then it wouldn’t be a Cressida,… it would be a Mark II or Chaser), this would’nt be a 1976. The 1st US year for the Cressida was 1977, NOT 1976. This 1st gen went from 1977-80.
Uh, just the facts, ma,am.
Judging by the license plate number it has been relatively recently resurrected.
Never liked these, they look like a 4 door version of the Mustang II, another turd of the era.
The styling was okay by me, but I had no understanding of buying a pint size “luxury” car when you could buy the real thing – probably for similar money.
I think it was really aimed at the Japanese market, where these were considered pretty big cars. Toyota’s U.S. business was heavily focused on the Corolla and later the Camry, which was smaller and developed more with American buyers in mind.
I like those wheels…just not on this car. Be MUCH better on a 510, Z car etc. This is a sedan. Go with something more sedan-like.
My BIL has one of these, in the shade of burgundy that they all seemed to be here in NZ. He’s had it for a couple decades – although it only ran for a short while I understand, and has been sitting at the back of his farm since then. Last time I saw it I was impressed at the rate with which it could rust when left alone in a damp coastal part of New Zealand!